1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-purpose fishing tool, to be used to perform a variety of tasks often encountered during fishing, thereby providing a user with a single effective tool which can cut wire, hooks, filament and the like appropriately and with minimal wear on the tool, as well as to facilitate the manipulating of fish hooks and eyelets thereof for easy adaptation to specifically desired uses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishing pliers are an often used, almost essential tool carried and used by virtually all fisherman. They are highly desired for their multi-purpose use in performing many common tasks such as bending fish hooks for making fishing lures or jigs. Common fishing pliers include a standard plier gripper portion with a pair of scissor-type cutting blades which are intended for use in cutting monofilament fishing line. While primarily intended to cut monofilament, the cutting blades are often abused for use in cutting wire or hooks, a practice which leads to rapid dulling of the blades and often cause notches to form in the blades such that when attempting to use the cutters for their intended purpose, namely cutting monofilament, the blades become ineffective.
Further, there are many tasks which fishermen regularly perform which require intricate manipulations of fishing hooks, tasks that the standard pliers cannot easily and efficiently perform. For this reason, it would be highly beneficial to provide a fishing tool, which in addition to including the well-known and beneficial features, includes structural features which are specially adapted to assist in the performing of many other common fishing activities and will prolong the effectiveness of the fishing tool by minimizing the misuse of the existing features. The present invention is adapted to be such a tool.
More particularly, the tool of the present invention includes a specifically adapted punch assembly which is specifically designed for expanding the eyelet of a hook so as to facilitate the interlinking of multiple hooks to make a jig. Additionally, the tool includes shearing blocks which are specifically adapted to cut fish hooks, thick wire, and the like such that the blades of scissor-like cutters will be preserved for their intended use. These specifically adapted features, along with additional structural features, enable the tool of the present invention to have a more effective and increased use, while not requiring multiple tools or complicated manipulations.